Happy Mother's Day, Mom!!

You used to hate Mother's Day.

I'm glad you don't anymore.

I also hope you don't have to ask that your kids to quit fighting, just for one day.

Yep. Some things just keep gettin' better with time.

I love how much you love the beach.

I love that you love to have fun, and see new things.

I love the colors you wear.

I love watching the Discovery channel with you. (Wish we could do that more. At the beach.)

I love all the things you know about and find interesting.

You're the best Mom ever.

In a room, by a river, in the South...

So I'm sitting in a dark hotel room on the west side of the Ashley River in Charleston.

If that description means nothing to you then, don't worry, it didn't mean much to me until today either.

Last night, I stayed up with Mom and Dad going 'round the mulberry bush of trying to decide if we should drive up to Washington DC today. Eventually we gave up and decided to NOT make a decision, and eat fudge instead.

That's usually a safe course of action.

This morning we finally let go of Washington and decided to come down to South Carolina, with it's official slogan of "It's not Washington DC, but it's a heckofalotcloser."

We got to Charleston at about 3:45. We then spent the next hour looping around and around trying to find our hotel. This included many sharp left turns into parking lots, Mom yelling "GOGOGO! NOW!" as I floored my gas pedal and tried to cross four lanes of traffic going 60+ mile per hour, and the lady at the front desk of the hotel trying to explain to me how to get here and talking to me like I was a four year old with crossed eyes. Good times.

And, of course, the SpringHill Suites is every bit as blissful as it should be. $12.99 to watch an in-room movie, $2.99 to watch Curious George on PBS Kids, and a microwave that is at the perfect height for an 18 month old to try and stick her head in it and turn it on. This is why Mom and Dad are now "out on the town" in Charleston, and I stayed here to get my kids in bed. I thought my head was going to explode, between Ainsley's wails of misery and Emily and Caleb's "He touched me!" "She breathed on me!" "His breath STINKS!!" game. But they are all asleep now.

Glory be.

Now if Mom and Dad can manage to find their way back and if Emily will just NOT pee the bed, I think we'll consider the trip a success.

Love you. :)
Becca

Happy Birthday, Mama.

Dear Mom,

You are 59 today. The world was pretty different on the day you were born.

Just google image search the cover of "Life" magazine on the day you were born:

Yes. The world was cuter then, on the day you were born. (Which, speaking of, I don't think I know any details of your birth. I assume your dad wasn't there. I assume that you were born at some time, on this day, and that they thought you would be named "Myra." I would like more information, please.)

But today you are 59, which means that you have one year left to do all those crazy things you were going to do before you turned 60. I believe they probably included:

• Get married.
• Have children.
• Accidentally flash people by showing them how you could still fit your feet behind your head when you didn't know you had a split in your pants.
• Watch every episode of "Nova" ever filmed.
• Slap your spouse for flipping your bra strap.
• Laugh at your spouse when he gets stuck on the roof, then take pictures, but forget to take off the camera lense cover.
• Walk on the wild side and eat the end of the orange slice candy that your fingers actually touched.
• Develop a bit of a swearing habit.
• Give up wheat for New Year 2005 and decide you like it so much, give it up altogether.
• Still cover your mouth and kind of screech when you really laugh at cards in the card aisle.
• Keep the Danish Dessert company in business.

Aw, Mom. I wish I could be with you on your birthday, to see you accomplish all your magnificent goals. May all your dreams come true this year. I love you so. :)

Just for you--a gluten free cake wreck:

*Becca

Possibilities...

Dear Mom and Dad,

I'm trying to come up with things to do while we're in Washington DC next month.

Obviously, my first priority will be to purchase one of these for Ainsley:

But what next???

Well, we find out tomorrow if we get to go to the Easter Egg roll at the White House. (ohpleaseohpleaseohplease) And I'm waiting on Sue, my congresswoman, to see if we get to tour the White House itself. Reservations are made for the National Archives and the Capitol building. (I just hope my kids don't find some way to destroy the Constitution or derail our national government. You think I'm kidding.)

For food, please check out this link. I'm thinking, yes? This place looks amazing, but not child friendly. Or budget friendly. But certainly taste-bud friendly. Same goes for this. But this place has gluten free cupcakes, as long as we get there early enough to grab 'em. And I'm really thinking this fits well into our budget, not to mention that Lebanese food is in-credible. So that's food. I do not like chains. Sorry, Mom. ;)

What else? Shall we wander down to historic Williamsburg? The beach? Cross state lines into Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware?

Let me know your thoughts,

Me

From Dad...

Well Happy B.D. Levi, and thanks for the cake, I really like it, your so though Will its been quite a day at work lots going one and no one hope that all of your doing will. It is going to be a great Friday, course your truly is go up to watch the football games a the U, Davis is Playing Bingham for 5A and SpringVille is Playing Timpview for the 4A so I am going to go...The buses will just have to go on with out me... I love each of you very much. some body tell me where to go to add pic.

--Dad

Tough.

Happy Veteran's Day, Dad!!

Happy Veteran's Day, Dad. For all that today means for you.

I think I can say, for all of us, that we all feel really privileged to be the children and grandchildren of a Vietnam Veteran and a Marine.

We love you.